Knockdown crate.



No. 673,5m. Patented .,May 7, mol.

J. HEAGEHTY. KNUCKDDWN CRATE. (Appxicm9n med Feb. 1s, 1901.-,

('No Model.)

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o.. msnmmou p c UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

JEREMIAl-I HEAGERTY, OF OSWEGO, NEW YORK.

KNOCKDOWN CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,501, dated May 7, 1901.

Application. filed February 18, 1901. Serial No. 47,727. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH HEAGERTY, of Oswego, in the county of Oswego, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Crates, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to certain improvements in knockdown crates for packing'an'd transporting vegetables, fruits, and the like.

The object of my inventionis to provide an improved knockdown crate that is light, strong, cheap, and durable and that can be easily and quickly put together or taken apart to occupy less space when empty and during transportation. This object is accomplished by and my invention consists in certain novel features of construction hereinafter desc-ribed, and particularly .set forth in the claims.

fragment of one end of the crate, showing the binding device in position before thelever is thrown over to bind the parts closely together; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lever enlarged. A

Referring specifically to the drawings, A and A' are the front and back sides, and B B are the ends of the crate. Each of the four sides of the crate is formed of a plurality of thin wooden horizontal slats a, spaced apart, preferably about the Width of a slat, as shown in Fig. l, and secured at their ends byl nails or screws to vertical or upright strips bon the outside. The slats ct are so placed in relation to the strips b that the latter project beyond the ends of the slats o and the front strips b lie upon the edges of the end strips b. In other Words, the corners are square and are matchedstogether to form a strong rigid corner that cannot slip out of place.

The corners at each end of the crate are secured together by a pair of binding devices preferably formed partly of wires angularly shaped to clasp the vertical strips. Each binding device is composed of' a pair of wires O O of the same shape ext-ending across the end ofthe crate. The outer ends are bent at right angles to lie upon the outside of the vertical strips b b of the front and back of the crate, and the extremities c c are bent around the inner edges of the said strips, as clearly shown in the drawings. The inner ends d CZ of the wires are bent inward substantially at right angles to the main portions of the wires to enter a pair of holes g g in one end of a thin iiat lever G. One hole is nearer the end of the lever than the other and preferably somewhat to one side to allow for the thickness of the wires as they overlap when the lever is thrown over in line with one of the Wires O to clamp the parts together, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In order to hold or retain the lever in this position, it is provided near its freeend and upon one side with a suitable projection h, as a lip'or hook, which will catch on the lower side of the wire O and remain in place until released by pressing down the lever and carrying .it inward toward the end of the crate.

One of the wires O may be permanently secured to the lever by riveting the end after it is inserted in its hole g, but the other wire must be capable of removal from the lever, so that the Wires may be easily applied to the corners of the crate. After the wires are applied the inner end of the wire that is separable from the lever is placed in the proper hole g,`the parts then being in position, as shown in Fig. 3. Then the lever G is thrown over to the left, as indicated by the unfeathered arrow, and the hook or lip h on the free end of the lever passed below the wire to bear upon its lower side. The tension on the parts will hold them in this position against displacement until it is desired to take'the crate apart, when all of these levers are released,

one of the wires C of each clamping device separated fromits lever, and the devices removed from the corners.

' To still further insure against the vertical displacement of the sides of the ycrate at the corners, a short piece D, of wood, is nailed or otherwise secured to each upright of the ends on the inside between two of the slats a a, with one of its ends projecting outward between two of the horizontal slats of the front IOO or rear side. These pieces being secured at each corner there is no liability whatever, when the clamping devices are in position, for any displacement of the parts when the crate is lifted by the ends or sides even when the crate is filled.

The bottom E is provided on its lower side, at or near its ends, with a pair of cleats or thin strips e e, nailed thereto, their ends projecting beyond the sides of the bottom and lying against the lower edges of the lower slats. The ends of the cleats e e are saddled in wire-supports F, passing between the bottom and the inner sides of the lower slats, the ends f f of the supports being bent over to lie upon the top and outer sides of said slats, as shown in Fig. l.

Any suitable 'cover with hinges and fastening devices may be applied and used with this crate.

I do not desire to be limited to the particular form of crate shown and described herein, as my clamping devices may be applied to other forms of knockdown crates without departing from my invention. It will also be obvious that the outer ends of the wires C @may be modified in form when applied to crates of different shapes or designs in order to iit them without departing from my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A knockdown crate, having each side formed of horizontal slats'spaced apart and secured at their ends to vertical strips, pairs of angular corner-irons clasping the front and back 'vertical strips, the outer ends thereof being bent to lie upon the inner sides of said strips, and extending across the ends of the crate toward each other, and a lever connecting the inner ends of each pair together and arranged to ldraw the said irons toward each other upon the movement of the lever, as and for the purpose described.

2. A knockdown crate having front and back sides lying upon the edges of the ends, pairs of angular corner-irons clasping the front and back sides at their ends and eX- tending horizontally across the ends toward each other, and a lever pivoted at one end to each pair of corner-irons and adapted to draw the irons together to clamp the'parts of the crate and provided with a projection on its free end to retain the irons in this position, substantially as described and shown.

3. A clamping device for the end of aknockdown crate consisting of a pair of angular corner-irons correspondingly shaped, the outer ends adapted to lie upon the inner side of the crate, and a lever pivoted at different points near one end to the inner ends of the cornerirons, said lever having a projection on one side ator near the opposite end to engage one of the irons when it lies parallel with the iron, substantially as shown and described.

4. A knockdown crate having each side formed of horizontal slats spaced apart and secured at their ends to vertical strips, said strips being on the outside of said sides and projecting beyond the ends of the slats, pairs of angularl corner-irons clasping said vertical strips and extending across the ends toward each other, a lever for each pair of irons pivoted at dierent points near one end to the inner ends of each pair, said lever being adapted to be thrown over alongside of one of the irons to cause the inner ends of the irons to overlap, said lever having a projection on one side at or near the end, opposite to that wherein thecorner-irons are pivoted, to eni gage one of the irons, a bottom inside the lower slats having cleats projecting beyond the bottom and lying against the lower edges of the said lower slats, and wire supports for the bottom passing below the ends of the cleats and upward .between the bottoni and the said slats and having hooks bearing o'n the top edges of the lower slats, substantially as described and shown. y

In testimony whereof I, JEREMIAH HEAG- ERTY, have hereunto signed my name.

JEREMIAH HEAGERTY.

Witnesses:

WM. J. CLARK, W. G; ROBINSON. 

